Reed block for accordions



Sept. 6, 1955 A. PRANA REED BLOCK FOR ACCORDIONS Filed Oct. 23, 1952INVENTOR J BY ORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 2 ,716,915 PatentedSept. 6, 1955 REED BLQCK FOR ACCORDIONS Angelo Piana, Newark, N. J.

Application October 23, 1952, Serial No. 316,416

4 Claims. (Cl. S4--360) This invention relates to a reed block foraccordions.

Accordion reed blocks are divided by longitudinal and transversepartitions to provide separate air chambers for the individual reeds orreed plates. Each reed plate carries two reeds or tongues, one of whichis responsive to the suction action of the bellows and the other ofwhich is responsive to the compression action of the bellows. One of thefactors that determine the quantity or volume of the air required toactuate the reeds is the size of the air chambers. The larger the airchambers, the greater is the volume of air which will be required toactuate the reeds; the smaller the size of the air chambers, the smallerthe volume of air required to actuate the reeds. However, it is neitherpractical nor desirable to substantially reduce the size of the airchambers of conventional accordion reed blocks by modifying thedimensions of the partitions which form said air chambers.

it is accordingly the principal object of this invention to provide areed block whose air chambers are reduced in size by auxiliary meanswhich is inserted into each air chamber. This auxiliary means willherein be designated as an insert and more particularly as an insertwith sound-board or sounding-board properties. These inserts are mountedon the longitudinal partition which divides the air chambers on one sideof the reed block from the air chambers on the opposite side thereof,and they reduce the size of said air chambers approximately 35% to 40%.

it is a corollary object of this invention to provide a reed block ofthe character described, wherein the inserts in the air chambers are somounted as to serve and function as sounding-boards. These inserts aremade of sounding-board material, such as the various woods which areused in making sounding-boards for musical instruments. The inserts aremounted in such manner that they are capable of vibrating under theinfluence of the vibrating reeds whose vibrations are transmitted tosaid inserts through the air. Consequently, not only do they reduce theeffective size of the air chambers, but they also contribute to theresonance of the instrument.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a reed block ofthe character described, wherein the inserts in the air chambers are soshaped and so situated and so dimensioned as to direct the air currentsto a strategic portion of the reeds or tongues approximately two-thirdsof the distance from the anchored ends thereof. This configuration ofthe inserts traps some of the air on the compression stroke and bouncesit back at the beginning of suction stroke to increase the speed ofreaction of the compression reed and to equalize it with the speed ofreaction of the suction reed. This minimizes and even prevents the breakwhich occurs in that split second interval between the compression andsuction strokes of the bellows.

Preferred forms of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawingin which:

Fig. l is a side fragmentary view of a conventional aceordion reed blockshowing several inserts made in accordance with one form of thisinvention mounted therein.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through said reed block on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective fragmentary view, partly in section, alsoshowing a conventional accordion reed block with inserts made inaccordance with the present invention mounted therein.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the use of an insert of slightlydifferent shape from the inserts shown in the first three figures of thedrawing.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the reed block showing a face view ofsaid insert.

Reed block 10 is conventional. It is provided with a top wall 12, abottom wall 14, a longitudinally extending partition 16 which isconnected to the top and bottom walls, and a plurality of transversepartitions 18 which are connected at their top and bottom ends to thetop and bottom walls and along one side edge to the longitudinalpartition 16 Openings 20 are formed in the bottom wall 14 and it will beunderstood that the air currents pass through said openings on thecompression and suction strokes of the bellows. Secured to the oppositeside edges of the transverse partitions and also to the top and bottomwalls are reeds or reed plates 22. Air chambers 24 are thereby formedbetween each pair of adjacent transverse partitions and between the reedplate which is secured to each such pair of transverse partitions andthat portion of the longitudinal partition which is disposed betweensaid pair of transverse partitions. It will be understood that reedplates 22 are conventional and they are provided with a pair ofvibrating tongues or reeds proper 26 and 28, one of said tongues beingresponsive to the suction stroke of the bellows and the other to thecompression stroke. There are of course leather fiaps 30 which arepaired with said vibrating tongues to serve as gaskets or seals toprevent a flow of air in the wrong direction.

it will be seen in Fig. 1 that three air chambers 24a, 24-]; and 24c areexposed to view. In these three air chambers are three inserts 32a, 32band 320 respectively. It will be noted that these inserts are staggeredin height and it will be understood that the height differential hasbeen exaggerated in the drawing for purposes of clarity. A conventionalreed block is relatively small on its high end and relatively large onits low end and it has a uniform taper from end to end. The heightdifferential among the several inserts is intended solely to conform theinserts to said taper. In one reed block to which the present inventionhas been applied, the space between the top of the insert at the low endof the block and the top wall of said block is approximately half aninch. At the high end of the block the corresponding space is only aquarter of an inch.

Soft fiber pads or cushions 34 are provided between the inserts and thelongitudinal partition 16 on which they are mounted. These fiber padsserve the purpose of spacing the inserts from the longitudinal partitionto enable them to serve as sound-boards. Glue or cement may be used tosecure the inserts to the fiber pads and the fiber pads to thelongitudinal partition. It will be noted that there are two fiber padsfor each insert, one at the top and one at the bottom. The fiber pad atthe top of the insert will always be situated in the same place.However, the lower pad may be shifted from one location on the insert toanother in order to vary the resonant qualities of the insert andthereby to produce variations in tone. It should be understood that one,two, three or even more fiber pads may be employed depending on the sizeof the reed. It should further be understood other material than fibermay be used for pad purposes. Furthermore thick blobs of glue may beused not only to secure the insert to the longitudinal partition butalso to space the insert therefrom.

Careful examination of Fig. 1 will disclose the fact that the side edgesof the inserts are spaced a small distance from the transversepartitions and the bottom edge of said inserts is spaced a correspondingdistance from the bottom wall of the reed block. A sixty-fourth of aninch constitutes ample clearance both at the side edges and at thebottom edge. This clearance is necessary in order to prevent contactbetween the edges of the inserts and the transverse partitions andbottom wall of the reed block since that would dampen the vibratorycapacity and action of said inserts.

Each insert is shown in the drawing to have a flat back wall 36 and atapered front wall 38, said front wall being backwardly curved at itsupper and lower ends to meet the back Wall. The side Walls 40 and 42 arealso fiat and they are perpendicular to the flat back wall. It will benoted in Fig. 2 that the upper end of the insert is somewhat heavier andthicker than the lower end and it will be seen that the lower end tapersbackwardly to meet the back wall 20a of opening 20. Similarly, theoutward taper of the upper portion of the insert carries it close to thereed or tongue on the inside of the reed plate. It is this outwardlytapered or bulging upper portion which directs the air current to thestrategic point on said tongue or reed above described and which bouncesthe air between the compression and suction strokes of the bellows.insert and the reed plate should be substantially equal to the size (butnot shape) of opening 20.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be seen that an insert 50 isprovided which is basically similar to the insert shown in Figs. 1, 2and 3 with the sole exception that it is provided with a pair of sidewings 52 and 54 respectively which define a channel 56 between them.These wings occupy space and they therefore help reduce the air capacityof the air chambers. The channel between the wings provides clearancefor the tongue and leather 3 flap of the several reeds. Consequently,even less air is required to actuate the tongues of the reeds than isthe case with the inserts shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

It is to be clearly understood that the air space or passage between thethickest portion of insert 50 and the reed which it faces, corresponds,substantially, to the cross sectional area of opening 20 so that the airwill freely pass in either direction both through said opening 20 andpast insert 50. This principle, of course, also applies with equal forceto the inserts which are shown in the first three figures of thedrawing. In other words, enough space is provided between the thickestportion of these inserts and the reeds which they face, to provide freeand unobstructed passage to all of the air which passes through openings20. Consequently, the inserts herein claimed do not and cannot functionas bottlenecks to any extent whatsoever to the passage of air throughthe instrument.

The foregoing is illustrative of preferred forms of this The air spacebetween the bulge on the invention and it will clearly be understoodthat these preferred forms may be modified and other forms may beprovided within the broad scope of the invention and claims.

I claim:

1. A reed block for accordions, comprising a longi tudinal partition, atop wall on said longitudinal partition, a bottom wall on saidlongitudinal partition, a plurality of spaced transverse partitions onsaid longitudinal partition, on both sides thereof, said transversepartitions being connected to said top and bottom walls to form airchambers between said transverse partitions and between said top andbottom walls, a plurality of reeds extending across said air chambers onthe outside edges of said transverse partitions and between said top andbottom walls, a pluraiity of openings formed in said bottom wall, onefor each air chamber and communicating therewith, and a plurality ofinserts mounted on said longitudinal partition, one for each said airchamber, each said insert being made of vibratory material and beingprovided with pads between the insert and the longitudinal partition toenable said insert to vibrate under the infiuence of the reed vibrationswhich would be generated by the passage of air in either directionthrough the openings in the bottom wall, the air chambers and the reeds.

2. A reed block in accordance with claim 1, wherein the inserts have afiat back wall and flat side walls and a tapered front wall which meetsthe back wall at its bottom end and is curved backwardly at its top endto meet the top of the back wall.

3. A reed block in accordance with claim 1, wherein the inserts have afiat back Wall and fiat side walls and a tapered front wall which meetsthe back wall at its bottom end, the upper portion of said inserts beingrelatively thick and the lower portion being relatively thin, said upperand lower portions merging in each other, the upper portion curvingbackwardly to meet the top of the back wall.

4. A reed block in accordance with claim 1, wherein the upper portion ofeach said insert of vibratory material is thicker than the lowerportion, said upper portion tapering downwardly and backwardly to mergewith the lower portion, a pair of side Wings being provided on saidinsert which coincide with the fiat side walls of said insert, a channelbeing formed between said wings which extends substantially the fulllength of said insert from its upper to its lower end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,009,903 Hohner Nov. 28, 1911 2,348,830 Magnus May 16, 1944 2,473,210Magnus June 14, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 98,102 Switzerland Mar. 1, 1923292,483 Italy July 20, 1932

